A Software Cost Estimating Game

Here's a game you can all play, I wouldn't say its going to be great fun but you may learn what some of the real costs of different technologies are, and they say that we learn from play. This is what you do;

STEP 1

Find a specification, preferably a big one, it would be excellent if it was one that you had actually build and had metrics on, but any will do. Having found your specification ..... blow the dust off of it .... isn't it amazing how specifications get put in out of the way places to gather dust? Well, having read quite a few I'm surprised they are kept at all, but all that money in creating the document......

STEP 2

Find a software house with ability to develop software using two different technologies you are interested in using, perhaps even ‘traditionalcentric’.

Now come on Terry, you can't use made up words like 'traditionalcentric', after all they stand no chance whatsoever of getting through the spelling checker!

««« INTERRUPT

Of course these days some people and technologies are described as 'dinosaurs', but then 'Jurassic Park' was about dinosaurs and went on to become one of the most popular film ever made.... and they

may be in museums, but they are usually the most popular attraction in there.

If you can't find a single organisation who can produce the systems in both ways, then you may have to find two separate companies - one for each method. In fact you could use as many as are willing to co-operate.

STEP 3

Ask the software house (or houses) to provide fixed price quotes for the two developments, clearly saying what is included and what is not..

Stand back in amazement!

QUESTION; Is this game being unfair to software houses? No, because some of you will end up accepting the quotes you have been given because its more cost effective and less risky than doing it yourself. Which leads you to wonder why you do anything in-house.